Mail bag portable truck



Nov. 3, 1931. T. M. KANGUS MAIL BAG PORTABLE TRUCK Filed Oct. 9, 1930 r as Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATEfi TOIVO MATTHEW KANG'US, OF MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA MAIL BAG ronrenrn TRUCK.

Application filed October 9, 1930. Serial No. 487,570.

This invention relates to mail bag portable trucks.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a portable truck having a rack on which empty mail sacks may be piled as emptied, and the locks thereof collected in a suitable container as removed from the mail sacks, the device being mounted on casters so as torbe portable and thus easily maneuvered through crowded spaces to locations where the bags are to be distributed for filling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail bag truck having a platform upon which parcel post packages may be conveniently stored without interfering with the piling of the empty mail bags on the horizontal bar of the truck rack.

A still further object is to provide a combined mail bag and parcel post truck which will be strong and durable to resist severe conditions of service and which will be constructed of a few simple and inexpensive parts which will not easily get out of order. With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the, accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mail bag truck with parts in section,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the truck,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through one of the casters and the shell thereof,

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, the truck is shown to include a rack consistingof a horizontal bar 10 and vertical bars 11 secured to '11 are also secured in sockets 19 which desired height.

the horizontal bar near the ends thereof by pipe fitting Ts 11, set screws 12 being threaded through the Ts and I bearing against the horizontal bar to preventrotation of the latter. The horizontal bar and vertical upright bars are preferably formed of one and one-sixteenth inch'irontubin'g. The ends of the horizontal bar are closed by caps 13.

By referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the lower ends of the upright bars 11 are connected to the centers of under-slung transverse axles 14 which are preferably formed of cast iron of suitable weight and strength to sustainconsiderable load and'are formed at the ends to carry swivel casters, designated in general by the numeral 15, which will be hereinafter more fully de-' scribed. The under-slung axles 14 and also the upright bars 11 arefconnected together'by a longitudinal base bar 16, preferably formed of one and one-sixteenth inch'iron tubing. The ends of the basebar are received in sockets '17carried by the under-slung miles 14: and secured by set screws 18,as shown in Fig. 1. The lower ends of the upright bais pre erably are integral with the sockets 17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and secured by set screws 19. 30

The portable rack thus formed by the horizontal bar 10, vertical upright bars 11, base bar 16, under-slung axles 14 and casters 15 may be used to conveniently store empty mail bags, each bag being thrown across the horizontal bar 10 as emptied and the empty bags bein g piled one upon the other to any For storing parcel post packages, I provide a platform 20 equipped with end walls 21 and sidewalls 22, the bottom of the platform being open. Longitudinal cleats 23 carried by the side walls bear uponthe shells 2a? ofthe casters and support the platform at the corners upon the casters, as best shown in Fig. 2.

Inclined brace rods 25 are preferably bolted or otherwise secured to the platform and to the vertical upright bars and rigidly connect the upright bars 11 t0 the platform 20.

The above mentioned swivel casters 15 are referably equipped with rubber tires 26.

ach caster is equipped with a stem 27 which is receivable in the above mentioned shell 24: and is provided with a groove 28. A spring thimble clamp 29, wedged within the shell, is provided with struck out loops 29 which enter the groove 28 and swivelly retain the caster in the shell. It will be pointed out that the stem is rounded, as shown at 30, to engage the rounded surface 31 of the clamp and reduce friction. The bottom open end of the clamp is provided with a flange-32 which abuts the bottomof the shell and limits insertion of the clamp in the shell.

Bynow referring back to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a container 33, preferably a cylindrical metal can, is providedvvith vertically alined eyes 3% which are supported upon similar eyes 35 carried by one of the upright bars 11. A wedge pin 36 is inserted through the registeringeyesof the container and the bar and removably securesthe container in place. Mail bag locks may be thrown into the container after removal from the mail bags.

It will bepointed out that the device, as above described,facilitates certain work in the mail service, namely the disposition of empty bags and pouches in post oflices.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A portable mail bag truck comprising a horizontal bar over which empty mail bags may be thrown and piled, vertical bars supporting said horizontal bar near the ends thereof, underslung axles secured to the lower ends of said vertical bars, swivel casters on the ends of said axles, a base bar connecting said underslung axles and said verti- 4 cal bars, a box platform open at the bottom and fitting, over the casters above said base -bar, and cleats on the inner faces of the platform bearing upon the tops of the casters for supporting the platform thereupon.

2. A portable mail bag truck comprising i nnderslung axles, shells carried at the ends 7 .ofsaid axles, casters having stems swivelled in said shells, upright bars connected to said underslung axles, a horizontal bar connecting the upper ends of said upright bars and being adapted to receive empty mail sacks, a base bar connecting said underslung axles in the plane of said horizontal bar, an open bot- .tom platform fitting over said underslung axles for receiving parcel post packages, and cleats on the inner faces of the platform bearing upon said shells and supporting the platform near the corners thereof upon the shells.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

TOIVO M. KANGUS. [L. 5.] 

